GUARD shares cathartic debut album ‘THE IDENTIFIED PATIENT’

Melbourne-based conceptual pop artist, Guard has today released his debut album, The Identified Patient, an eleven-track storybook of healing as he finds peace post-trauma, premiered via theMusic.com.au.

Dark, emotional messages hidden in blissful bops: Guard’s debut album The Identified Patient delivers crisp production alongside smooth vocals and emblematic lyricism. From lamenting the pain of unrequited love on ‘Phantom,’ to discussing the end of toxic relationships in ‘K BYE’, to learning how to put your heart and health first in ‘Styrofoam Heart,’ each track on The Identified Patient delves deeper into Guard’s journey of healing after leaving a toxic relationship he started while living in LA. “This is a breakup record about finding myself and finding acceptance,” Guard explains. That said, it’s also more than that: for Guard, it’s a story of holistically coming to terms with his childhood trauma, experiences with depression, substance abuse and precarious relationships.

In psychology, ‘The Identified Patient’ is a term ascribed to the dark horse of a family or the problem child: two things Guard has defined himself as throughout his life and is only now able to elevate above. More than your average pop artist, Guard’s music is a project fuelled by conceptualisation and personal exploration. The album was conceptually inspired by Damien Hirst’s work, and it’s artwork visually inspired by the works of Julia SH & Nic Sadler’s series Fresh Meat. Guard goes on to explain: “Due to unresolved trauma, I became a product of my feelings. Completely ruled by emotion & constantly falling into codependent relationships. The cover is a reminder to me of who I don’t want to be anymore. I don’t want to be a product of my trauma. Inspired by Damien Hirst, Julia SH & Nic Sadler, I am exploring the addition of psychotropic medication.  I also wanted to explore the duality of life/death, of beauty & pain.”

For the album, Guard worked with a number of producers including featured work from Umru (Charli XCX) for ‘im calling the cops’, and mixing by LA-based producer Tony Rodini (Terror Jr & blackbear).

The Identified Patient follows the release of preceding singles ‘I (Don’t) Miss You,’ ‘Phantom,’ ‘K Bye’, ‘Wine N Die’ and ‘Martyr,’ each having received praise from fans, streaming platforms and media tastemakers alike. To date, they have earned well over half a million streams on Spotify and were featured on editorial playlists such as Chill af, Study Zone, Indie Arrivals & Pop Edge. In addition, he has seen plenty of love from outlets such as  Billboard, Paper Magazine,  V magazine, Tone Deaf, Pilerats, and Cool Accidents as well as triple j and triple j Unearthed. This is also on top of success he’s seen as curator and admin of hugely popular Instagram meme accounts @mycriinge, @mymoistmemes, @dopegrounds and @tindervsreality. Join Guard today on a journey of self-discovery and introspection.